The Evil Within
by ComicsDC
Summary: Arkhum asylum gets even more interesting when Dr. Harleen Quinzel is assigned the Joker, not helped when the riots begin that bring loyalties into question.
1. Chapter 1

THE EVIL WITHIN

Chapter One: A Cursed Greeting

A shadowy figure sat on his own in the locked room with nothing but a table and an empty chair opposite his to keep him company. Time ticked by slowly for him like it had been for a month in this boring place where nothing funny ever happened anymore; not since the added security precautions. He assumed that commissioner Jim Gordon was a big role behind that.

On the other side of the door, a few corridors down, a woman with blonde hair and a white lab coat was being debriefed by the governor and Detective Kate Kane.

"-Under no circumstances must you give personal information to this patient. I assume you've heard the stories of this one, he's not known for his subtlety in his crimes."

Dr. Harleen Quinzel broke eye contact while giving a nod before examining the patients records once more. The infamous clown prince of crime wasn't going to be like any other patient she'd had in her years of practise, but she was very well respected and in accordance to that the job had been assigned to her.

"He's been restrained and cuffed to the chair, if at any point you feel like he is not bound then I want you to step back immediately and give a distress call. We have officers outside your door ready to take control should you need it."

Kate Kane continued to speak to Harleen as the governor followed behind them down the barren corridors that gave off more of an eery atmosphere when the solid steel door came into view.

"Officer Montoya." Kate nodded and the guard stepped out of the way so the governor could unlock the door. Kate glanced back at the doctor. "It's not too late to decline."

Harleen smiled nervously and cast her gaze to the side for a moment. "No… I'm fine. Thank you, Detective."

The door clinched open and Kate patted the young doctors shoulder for good luck which was almost missed by the woman who had no idea what to expect once the barrier was crossed. Harleen walked forward and nodded to the detective who signalled for the door to be locked back up. The sound of it shutting sealing her into the poorly lit room that she was very much not alone in.

Harleen stared directly at the centre where a table and two chairs sat; only one chair was not taken. She couldn't see him clearly until she flicked the switch beside the door to bring another row of lights to life.

The shadowy figure was no more; and in it's place was a pale, messy green haired man with bloody lips. His jaw was wide and sharp, his face chiseled to make him appear charming and handsome. His body had an average build with broadened shoulders. However as she came to sit down opposite him, it wasn't his surprising size that was occupying her mind, it was his glistening green eyes gawking into hers.

"Good evening… Joker." She landed upon and kept a straight posture as she addressed him. "My name is Dr. Harleen Quinzel, I've been assigned to help you for the duration of your stay at Arkham instead of Dr. Joan Leland."

The brooding man suddenly cast a smile towards the woman opposite him. "Interesting. Why the change in management, I wonder?" His head titled as he studied her movements.

"She found herself unavailable at this given time." Harleen rehearsed.

"Really?" His voice rose with fake curiosity.

"Yes."

"Then I bet you're counting your lucky stars that you were around for the promotion."

"Promotion?"

"I'd consider myself a high level case, surely like no other you or anyone has encountered."

"Perhaps. Many doctors have tried to diagnose you but no one has ever been able to treat you."

He chuckled to himself. "I try my best."

"Well I don't believe it, anyone can be helped with the correct treatment."

"And I suppose you think you're the woman for the job, hmm? There is something about you… Maybe you and I will become friends. I've never had a friend before."

Dr. Harleen smiled. "Well, you can count me as a friend from now on."

The Joker's broad grin took over hers and his emerald green orbs sparkled. "Good."

"Will you let me help you? Now that we are friends."

"Oh, sure! I wouldn't want to let my best pal down so soon like that. What do you want to know, doctor? What my childhood was like? Would you like to know if mummy and daddy abused me before I torched them? No- oh dear, was that not in my file?"

Harleen shifted her focus and wetted her lips as she ignored his laughing.

"What would you like to talk about?" She asked, knowing that this meeting was not ever going to be that start to helping him but rather an introduction to gain some level of rapport between them.

He grinned even more. "Are you trying to 'woo' me, doctor? Very well. Let's talk about you."

"Me?"

"I think there's more to the smart, compassionate persona you choose to show. What secrets does Dr. Harleen Quinzel keep hidden away? You can tell me… We're friends."

"What exactly are you asking?" She questioned.

Her heart jolted when the Joker's face leaned in closer over the table. "Have you ever felt it?"

"Felt what?"

"The feeling… When you get close… Close to something no one can quite understand no matter how hard they try. Come now, doctor, you must know what I am inferring here. You work in an asylum."

"No, I haven't." She responded sternly.

His smile erupted and he leaned closer than before. "Not even a little? Working here… Why it's bound to send anyone off the rocker at least a couple times."

"Not everyone."

"Are you immune? Is that why you're my God given saviour? Will you really be the one to cure me of madness?"

"I'm not naïve… But I don't believe hope is ever something to be lost… even in such extreme circumstances. But I can't help you without your co-operation." Harleen had kept her hands on the table throughout her talking and the Joker kept taking a peak.

"Oh believe me, doctor. You'll find me very co-operative with you."

Harleen watched him and nodded respectfully. "Then I'll do my best. When you were here last time, before everything happened, you went by a different name."

"Do you not like Joker?"

"There's a lot of negativity attached to that name. If you want to become something better then maybe you should start over. Of course, this is up to you, it's just a suggestion."

"Very well. I'm not one to ignore advice from friends. You may call me John Doe."

"You're sure?"

"Certainly! And who knows, maybe I'll be John Quinzel one day – I have to say I like the way it sounds."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Breaking Point

Dr. Harleen had trouble thinking about anything other than her new patient ever since their first encounter. He was right when he said she'd never forget him. The Joker – or John now, couldn't be her main focus now however because there were others she needed to talk to. Not to mention the other half a dozen patients scheduled in this week.

"Doctor." One of the assistants passing by gave her a courteous nod.

When she reached the door she was handed a clipboard titled 'patient name: Bane'.

"Im glad you're here. He's been getting sort of restless, big guy like that… well, you can imagine."

"Yeah, I've heard." Apparently a few inmates were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

She opened the door to reveal a wide room with metal crates creating a path towards the back where solid nth metal bars and bullet resistant glass separated them. "Doctor. I expected you'd come." He clenched his fists casually.

"You've had quite the morning."

"They were irritating. The guards do nothing."

"You hospitalised three men, they fractured bones from ribs to their thumbs. You went too far."

"That's what I do to men who annoy me, what do you think I do to those that tell me what to think."

"I can't tell you what to think, just a reminder that there are rules. Those men may never recover and they didn't deserve that just because they wouldn't hand over the remote-"

"That is not why." He interjected and sat down formally in his cell, hands on knees. It looked odd to see a giant address her this way. "Every day they put on the same channel, today I decided it would be the last time I suffer through the same boring dialogue."

"You could have asked to leave."

"I just said I didn't want to replay the same dialogue." He said firmly. "You're a good doctor, Quinzel, but if you haven't noticed by now in the three years we've been seeing each other – I am not a man who can be swayed from his beliefs. I suggest you don't waste anymore of your time."

"What beliefs are those?"

"Did you not hear me, doctor?" He stood now and she was thankful for the barrier as he towered over.

"I don't give up on any of my patients."

"Hmm. I hear that may change."

She watched him and looked confused. "Excuse me?"

"I know of you're latest patient. Man so insane he can't even recognise the truth to the lies he spits out. If you do not break because of me then it will be him."

Her conversation with Bane replayed in her head once more in her office and she put down her notes to bring up a search engine to quickly type the name 'Joker'. The countless amounts of reports of catastrophe and images were haunting even to a woman who thought she'd seen it all after working in Arkham as long as she had. There were so many linked to the name. So much death and terror connected to him.

The next day, Harleen went by her normal routine around the asylum before her 3:00pm appointment came up with the name 'John Doe' which was something she had mixed feelings about. On one hand it is exciting to talk to someone so vastly different from everyone else, but on the other hand she knows about the twisted things he's done to people – something she despised.

"Harley!" John suddenly grinned wide for her as soon as she entered the room. He couldn't hide how excited he was to see his friend again whether he'd wanted to or not. There was something different about this woman, and he was intrigued to find out what.

She cautiously watched him while pulling out a chair. "Harley?"

"Don't you like it? Isn't that what your other friends call you?"

"Um… No not really, but I don't have that many friends. I was always sort of a nerd in school and then this job doesn't really allow for many nights out." She opened up a little to build on their trust.

For some reason he liked what he heard. "It's a good job you have me then!"

"Yeah." She pulled a smile. "It's been two days since our first meeting, has anything happened since then that you'd like to talk about? It can be anything at all."

"Anything, huh." He pretended to think back.

"Yep."

"I don't know… Maybe talking about you will jog my memory." He suggested with a charming smile.

She smiled back this time and played along. "Okay."

"Did you have any pets growing up?"

"I had a cat and two dogs."

"Wow! They must have been a handful – I had dogs too at one point although… they were probably a lot less friendly than yours were."

"Yes… I'm familiar with the story."

"Quite a laugh, they were. Loyalty was wasted on them however."

"What do you mean?"

"They didn't know which hands to bite and which to not – I almost lost mine when the bat knocked me off the railing into the pit… admittedly I was pointing a gun at him – but that's not the point!"

"Did he leave you? Or did you escape yourself?"

"Neither, actually. The pups got distracted when cat lady came to play. I made my escape after that."

"Did you come into contact with Catwoman a lot during you're siege of Gotham?"

He stared at her with an amusing thought. "Not often." He smiled. "No need to be jealous, you're the only woman I have plans to keep seeing." He winked as he referenced their schedule.

Harleen blushed a little and covered her face at the implication. "That's not- I was curious."

"Well you don't have to be for any longer, my dear." His grinning teeth got closer as he leaned across the table in attempt to see her better. She dropped her hand and was started to see him in front of her like this.

"What are you…?"

She had many questions but his had now been answered. He knew what had been on his mind and why it was, it made so much sense it shouldn't have taken him this long to figure it out.

His grin got even bigger for a second. "You should untie me."

"I don't think so."

"Why not? I won't hurt you."

"I've heard that one before."

"Why would I hurt you?" He tilted his head.

"I don't know. Why would you feed people to dogs?"

"They were bad people. You're good."

"I can't untie you."

"You're in charge."

"I just work here, I don't have a say in your restraints. That's security."

"Security isn't here."

"We're getting off topic here."

"No, no, no. I believe we are on the right topic. How can I truly open up and benefit from the best of what therapy has to offer if you don't even trust me to not be strapped into the most uncomfortable chair?"

"I'm sorry Jok- John, but I can't let you out."

His face turned grumpy for a moment but then he lifted his gaze again to meet hers. "Your loss."

"My loss?" She raised a brow.

"I didn't want you to untie me just because these are too tight. There was something else I had in mind."

"And what was that?"

"You'll have to untie me to find out."

"Nice try."

"I promise it's something you'd enjoy." His words made her break eye contact. He grinned. "I knew you were a smart one the moment I laid eyes upon you. Whatdya say, Dr. Quinzel?"

She shifted in her chair nervously. "We should carry on talking about-"

"I've got experience in doing most things you could think of but this isn't one of them, I offer a quid pro quo. I teach you something about me to help you with my treatment, and you teach me so I can help you with your… treatment." He emphasised the last word with another grin.

"That's- you can't talk- I mean-"

"I'm both surprised and happy about your reaction, I'd of thought you'd have many male fans – especially in a place like this."

"I…" She was at a loss for words when his legs brushed hers in addition to his piercing gaze.

"Doctor." He tried to grab her attention. "Do we have a deal?"

She pushed her chair back and shook her head. "Absolutely not-"

"I'm less happy now."

"It's inappropriate. It's more than that!"

John rolled his eyes. "So you really do see the world in black and white."

"Definitely not, but this is as wrong as they come. Even if you hadn't killed hundreds of people, you're still a patient and I really do want to help you-"

"This will be of help to me."

"I highly doubt that."

"If you waste your time worrying about ethics then you'll forget to live."

She frowned. "I have a life."

"Do you? Is work not everything?"

"Work is a life. It's important."

"What is life without friends, Doctor? I'm no expert but friends are meant to help each other out. You can help me with treating me just the same as I can with you. Although there will be slight differences."

"You need to stop."

"You need to untie me."

"After that conversation? Are you kidding me?"

"I really want to." He growled this time with foggy eyes.

"No."

"Fine, keep me bound to the chair. But you can still come and sit on the table in front of me."

She covered her face with both hands now.

"I'm a quick learner."

These sessions were going to a lot more complicated than shed originally thought.

"Please."

"No."

"But I'd still be tied to the chair!"

"It's also called taking advantage."

"I'm a willing participant!"

"You're insane – it still counts."

"How about just for a little bit? If you think I'm good then you can keep your legs wrapped around my neck until the clock hits four. You have nothing to loose but everything to gain."

"I think we're going to cut this meeting short." She quickly stepped away from her chair.

His head shot up. "Worried you'll give in to temptation?"

"Goodbye."

"Look forward to seeing you again."


End file.
